1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to hand-held devices and, more particularly, to text-to-speech (TTS) for hand-held devices.
2. Background of the Invention
An electronic book (also referred to as an “Ebook”) is an electronic version of a traditional print book (or other printed material such as, for example, a magazine, newspaper, and so forth) that can be read by using a personal computer or by using an Ebook reader. Unlike PCs or handheld computers, Ebook readers deliver a reading experience comparable to traditional paper books, while adding powerful electronic features for note taking, fast navigation, and key word searches. However, such actions, irrespective of whether or not they are performed on a PC, handheld computer, or Ebook reader, generally require the user to read the text from a display. Thus, the use of an Ebook generally requires the user to focus his or her visual attention on a display to read the text content (e.g., book, magazine, newspaper, and so forth) of the Ebook. Moreover, the use of any hand-held device requires the user to focus his or her visual attention on a display for one purpose or another.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a hand-held device such as, for example, an Ebook, that allows a user to assimilate content without having to look at a display.